Suu Kyi’s right hand man turns presidential proxy

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (4th UPDATE) – As he stood beside Aung San Suu Kyi at the gates of her mansion celebrating her release from house arrest in 2010, Htin Kyaw likely never imagined he would be named to rule in her place.

The affable 69-year-old university teacher, who was a school friend of the democracy veteran and is the son of a legendary Myanmar poet, was nominated by her National League for Democracy (NLD) Thursday, March 10, as a candidate to be the country’s next president.

The son of influential poet and veteran NLD member Min Thu Wun, Htin Kyaw is a soft-spoken economics graduate whose life, like Suu Kyi’s, has been entwined with Myanmar’s democracy struggle. 

He has long been part of Suu Kyi’s inner circle and in the past sometimes acted as the veteran activist’s personal driver.

His wife, Su Su Lwin, is a sitting NLD MP whose late father was once party spokesman.

Suu Kyi is banned from the top job by the army-drafted constitution but has pledged to rule “above” her appointee.

While little is known of the practicalities of the arrangement, the nomination demonstrates her faith in Htin Kyaw’s absolute loyalty to act as her proxy.

It also suggests she thinks he has sufficient pedigree in the country’s long struggle against junta rule to be embraced by the millions of voters who swept to the polls in November to validate her star power and simple message of change.

In a varied career Htin Kyaw worked as a university teacher and also held positions in the industry and foreign affairs ministries in the late 1970s and 80s before retiring from government service as the military tightened its grip.

He is currently a senior executive in Suu Kyi’s charity, the Daw Khin Kyi foundation named after her mother, which provides development aid and skills training to Suu Kyi’s Kawhmu constituency and other areas of the impoverished country.

In an interview with AFP about the foundation’s work in July 2015, Htin Kyaw spoke of the steep climb Myanmar faced to claw its way out of poverty and the shadow of the junta years.

As news of his nomination spread, the reaction among Myanmar’s Internet users was broadly positive. 

“There is no way to find fault with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s choice and we support it. He will be a well accepted leader by the people,” said Thein Win in comments posted on a local news website. Daw is an honorific meaning auntie.

While he is favorite for the post, Htin Kyaw’s nomination will need to go through votes in the NLD-dominated legislature and will not be confirmed for several days. – Rappler.com